The report comes from Chris Mortensen, making it dubious enough for me to hedge my bets in the headline, but the gist is that the Titans had an offer on the table to Peyton Manning for $25 million per year. Using Peter King Basic Mathology 101, we can deduce that that is more than the $19 million per year that he ultimately accepted from the Broncos to usurp Tim Tebow.

If Manning had decided to make it all about the money, he could have gotten $25 million a year from the Titans. Owner Bud Adams never made any secret that he desperately wanted Manning to return to Tennessee, where he had been a college star in the 1990s.

I’m glad this nugget was divulged by Mort and is therefore easily dismissed as bullsh*t because it brings me no joy for ammo to be handed to fawning sportwriters desperate to believe that money played no factor in Pey-Pey’s decision. “HERR DURR ALL PEYTON CARES ABOUT IS FOOTBALL! HE’D PLAY FOR FREE SO LONG AS THEY LET HIM RUN THE OFFENSE! THE $86 MILLION IS JUST A FORMALITY SLURPITY SLURPITY SLURP.” Of course, if winning were foremost in Peyton’s mind, he would have gone to San Francisco, a team would have become instant Super Bowl favorites. Then again, I do like the idea of Jim Harbaugh having to lie about being okay with still having Alex Smith at QB, so silver linings, etc.